Theravāda

Theravāda. (Pāli, way of the elders). The only one of the early Buddhist schools of the Hīnayāna or ‘Small Vehicle’ to have survived down to modern times. Today, the Theravāda is the dominant tradition of Buddhism throughout most of south-east Asia, particularly Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. According to tradition, the school spread initially as the result of missionary activity after being brought to Sri Lanka by Mahinda, the son of Aśoka. The school claims its origins go back to the ancient body of the Elders (sthaviras) before the separation from the Mahāsaṃghikas, but there is no historical evidence to support this. There are close similarities, however, between the Theravāda and the ancient Vibhajyavādins who were declared by Aśoka to be the orthodox party at the Council of Pāṭaliputra II. The school is characterized by fidelity to the texts of the Pāli Canon, the earliest complete set of Buddhist scriptures preserved intact in a single canonical language. Its attitude to doctrine and its outlook on social issues is generally conservative, although in modern times monks have come forward to challenge traditional attitudes. See also Eighteen Schools of Early Buddhism.